This invention relates to a novel support for a golf ball. More specifically this invention relates to a golf ball tee which has no interaction with the golf club face prior to the face striking the elevated ball regardless of the club selected.
Golf is a sport enjoyed by the public throughout the world. It requires no special physical attributes or knowledge for enjoyable participation. It is a sport that can be played without the aid of a team or against a competitor. The ultimate competition, whether playing solely or in a group, is between the player and the course.
Enjoyment is the reason for playing for the majority of the players. With this enjoyment there is a certain desire to excel past your current level of ability. The greatest realized improvement comes from the mastering of one's golf swing. Next attention is often directed to equipment. This phenomena in some respects may be psychological as well as a physical advantage, the right brand of clubs, the best balls, even the proper attire. Players constantly strive for the little competitive edge.
The use of golf tees to elevate a ball above a ground surface to facilitate clean striking of the ball off the tee by a professional and/or amateur golfer has been known for years. The placement of the ball on a simple mound of turf may have been the first form of a tee. Obviously informal tees make it difficult to position a ball consistently.
Another early form of golf tee assumes the form of an upward opening cup receptacle directly above a tapered ground penetrating stem. This tee supports the ball fine for strokes using clubs having near vertical faces. However, using this tee with clubs having a 35 degree slope (6 iron) or greater, a golfer may strike the tee stem before the ball on swings without a perfect arc height.
Another previously known tee is to form a cup receptacle at an acute angle with the stem in the direction of the swing. It is claimed that this minimizes breakage and offers less resistance to a golf swing. However this prior design enhances club face tee interaction prior to striking the ball with the club causing a unpredictable positioning and movement of the ball. Moreover the angled stem, on some versions, is in the view of a golfer; possibly interfering with concentration.
Another variation contains pointed protrusions on the circumference of the cup receptacle for directional alignment and to prevent loss. With the stem location the same as above, one encounters identical situations with striking the stem prior to the ball.
In at least one further known golf tee, an upper ball supporting surface is laterally enlarged to ensure contact of a club force with the tee prior to contacting the ball. It is asserted that this provides a degree of backspin to the ball prior to contact with a golf club. This tee may also, however, impart inconsistent movement of the ball prior to contact with a club face.
Although previously known golf tees generally have received considerable use, it would be highly desirable to provide a golf tee easily used, with structural integrity, inexpensive to manufacture, and offers no interference in the golf swing.
The difficulties and limitations suggested in the preceding are not intended to be exhaustive but rather are among many which may tend to reduce the effectiveness and user satisfaction with prior golf tees. Other noteworthy problems may also exist; however, those presented above should be sufficient to demonstrate that golf tees appearing in the past will admit to worthwhile improvement.